Call for Expert Applications: Development of Safety Directive for Water Retaining Facilities with Appurtenant Installations

The Swiss Federal Government oversees the construction and modification of large water retaining facilities (WRFA, SR 721.101). Any changes to these facilities, including dams, reservoirs, and safety-relevant auxiliary installations, require planning approval to ensure technical safety (WRFA art. 6). This extends to modifications from appurtenant installations like floating photovoltaic platforms, heliports, wind turbines, etc. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), specifically its Dam Supervision Section (TS), is responsible for the technical safety assessment of large dams.

The SFOE is calling for expert applications to develop a directive (Part F) on the safety of water retaining facilities with appurtenant installations. This directive will outline the minimum safety recommendations needed. The working group will draft the directive in three phases:

• Structure and Criteria Development: Establish the directive's structure, identify hazards, and determine classification and monitoring criteria.
• Technical Content Drafting: Detail the technical content, including legal bases, roles, risk definitions, safety objectives, and minimum safety requirements.
• Finalization: Revise and finalize the draft for review.

Experts are sought in areas such as anchoring, dam design, floating structures, geology, instrumentation, civil engineering, meteorology, natural hazards, and risk management. The working group will include 10-15 experts and involve three face-to-face sessions, three online sessions, and eleven and a half days of work, totaling sixteen days by March 2026.

Applications, including CVs and fixed daily rates, must be submitted by June 30, 2024, to Thomas Menouillard at the SFOE.

Contact:

Thomas Menouillard

Swiss Federal Office of Energy, SFOE

Pulverstrasse 13, 3063 Ittigen

Email: thomas.menouillard@bfe.admin.ch

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